


Lions ~~~ An Adopted by Skillet Fic

by MadSalty017



Series: Lions [1]
Category: Skillet (Band)
Genre: Adoption, Anxiety, Cyberstalking?, Depression, Just message me if you need to know about possible triggers!, Multi, Nearly found dead, Possible Triggers Include:, She's okay though!, Some bullying, Tour Announced, i'll add more as needed - Freeform, mentions of abuse, there's a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21796918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadSalty017/pseuds/MadSalty017
Summary: Aria is what some adults would call the perfect teen. Always listens when told, helps whenever she can, tries her best to keep her grades up. Except one thing: She's an orphan. A 17-year-old orphan. In fact, she is just days away from being kicked out of the orphanage when someone comes in to adopt someone, even if they are just days away from being kicked out.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Warning: contains depression, anxiety, anxiety attacks, situations of abuse, mentions of abuse, and other possible triggers or content you may not be comfortable with. you can message me in private for the specifics if you feel you need it and remember to stay safe.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Official Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2M02vAg7mu6mh5k6wIAq5j
Relationships: John Cooper/Korey Cooper, Seth Morrison/Hilary Morrison
Series: Lions [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570699
Comments: 2





	1. The Basics

**Sophie Nelisse**

as _Aria Smith-Cooper_

__

**John Cooper**

as _himself_

__

**Korey Cooper**

as _herself_

__

**Jen Ledger**

as _herself_

**Seth Morrison**

as _himself_

__

**Alex and Xavier Cooper**

as _themselves_

 _for KING & COUNTRY (and their family) _as _themselves_

 _Anthem Lights (and family)_ as _themselves_

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**Playlist**

_Hard to Find- Skillet_   
_The Last Night- Skillet_   
_(Coffee's for Closers)- Fall Out Boy_   
_Dancing With the Devil- Set It Off_   
_Golden Days- Panic! at the Disco_   
_**See more on the official Lions playlist, link in bio** _

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 **warning;** this book will mention abuse, drugs, rape, and other things that have happened to characters. I will put a warning at the beginning of a chapter. At the beginning of the part where it may become triggering, I will put some sort of divider, whether it be an emoji or a bit of bold text. At the end of a chapter with a triggering part, I will put a short summary of what was said/done in the part in a non-triggering manner. I will not tolerate hateful/offensive comments, they will be deleted.

 **disclaimer;** I own no one but Aria Smith-Cooper and Olivia, Grimm and Cade. I do own some lyrics that are used in this story, do not steal them. I do own the story arc, and the idea for the tour. I have never been outside of the United States, so descriptions of countries may be skewed/stereotypical, and I apologize in advance.


	2. Index and Encyclopedia

**This will be updated as chapters come out, so be on the lookout for new terms and chapter names!**

╓═══════☆═══════╖

_INDEX_

╙═══════☆═══════╜

 _i_ \- The Basics  
 _ii_ \- Index and Encyclopedia

1- The Older I Get  
2- Locked In A Cage  
3- Come My Way  
4- Energy  
5- Vapor  
6- Under My Skin  
7- Sometimes  
8- Madness in Me  
9- Believe  
10- Eating Me Away  
11- Everything  
12- EVerything Goes Black  
13- Falling Inside The Black  
14- Looking for Angels  
15- Stand  
16- ???  
17- ???  
18- ???

╓═══════☆═══════╖

_ENCYCLOPEDIA_

╙═══════☆═══════╜

 _ **People  
**_ **Aria Smith-Cooper-** Main Character, 18. Played by _Sophie Nelisse  
_ **Korey Cooper-** Aria's adoptive mother and guitar/keyboard/backing vocals for Skillet. Played by _Herself  
_ **John Cooper-** Aria's adoptive father and lead singer/bass player for Skillet. Played by _Himself_  
 **Alex and Xavier Cooper-** Aria's adopted siblings. Played by _Themselves  
_ **Jen Ledger-** Drummer for Skillet and Aria's "adult" best friend. Played by _Herself_  
 **Seth Morrison-** Guitar player for Skillet and Aria's go-to house escape strategy. Played by _Himself_

 ** _Other_**  
 **Sewing Form-** A stand that looks much like a human body (without extremities) that can be adjusted in order to properly size garments that are being made/repaired  
 **Golden Hour-** Typically in the early hours of the morning, this time of day is perfect for taking outdoor photos due to the sun's rays being at the perfect angle for lens flare off of everything, at least for about an hour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	3. The Older I Get

**🚨MENTIONS OF ABUSE🚨**

They say that you only get one shot at your life.

YOLO, right? You Only Live Once. 

You get the short end of the stick, and you're screwed. You end up dead before you can truly live. 

I got the short end. I'm stuck in an orphanage, and I'm going to be homeless in a matter of days. 

🚨 My parents were abusive and neglectful. They beat me and abused me until I told an old teacher of mine. I ended up here.🚨

No one wants an abused kid, so here I am. Getting kicked out in a matter of days. 

I walked down the hallway of the orphanage to the director's office; she called me down to update my profile one last time in a last-ditch effort. I had makeup on, even though I never wore it anyway, and my best outfit on too. Just jeans and a light sweater. I knocked on the door once I arrived, and walked in a second later. 

Mrs. Cardona sat at her desk, and when she saw me she smiled gently. We both knew that this was probably the last time I was going to walk in this room before being kicked. I sat in the chair in front of her and listened as she asked me her questions. 

"Alright, we're just going to fill out this form one last time. Remember, you still have a week before we have to get you out, so don't worry honey," The sweet woman said. 

I nodded, watching as she began to type.

"Your name is Aria Smith... You are 17 years old... Dirty blonde hair and the greenest eyes," She smiled at me and I struggled to smile back. "You are a huge helper, and you love to read, listen to music, take pictures, talk fashion and sewing. You have a very calm personality, and when you're upset you like to be left alone with your music until you calm down," She read off, "Still accurate?"

"Yes ma'am," I said.

"Alright, let's get your picture in and then you can go help get the kids into bed, alright?" Mrs. Cardona asked. It was getting late, it was already 11:30 and the babies were supposed to be in two and a half hours ago. I stood, and Mrs. Cordona followed me to the backdrop and took my picture. Within a couple of minutes, I was out and rounding up children. 

I loved watching these kids. I was the only stable person they could depend on so they loved me too. I never wanted to be here, but if I weren't, I wouldn't have met these kids. Eventually, they went up to bed and the other caregivers went home. Mrs. Cordona, however, went to bed in her room. I slowly crawled into mine, wiping my makeup off and collapsing into bed by the time midnight hit

The next morning I was awoken to the sound of frantic knocking on my door. Judging by how light it was, and how early it was, it was probably a younger child needing to go to the bathroom. I rolled out of bed and stepped into the hall, where I was greeted by Sarah, a small 3-year-old who had frequent nightmares. Judging by her tear-stained face, she had another one.

I knelt down so I was at her height, "Do you want to come lay in my room?"

She nodded, so I took her hand and stood, leading her into my room. A small beanbag lay in one corner, so I took her over to it and sat down, placing her in my lap. She wrapped her arms around me, and within a minute she was asleep again. Not wanting to move, I remained there until she woke up again. 

It wasn't until about 7 AM, three hours after she initially woke me up, that she shifted and sat up.

"Feeling better Sarah?" I asked.

"Thanks, Aria," She whispered, wiggling out of my lap and walking out of my room. I sighed and stood, stretching before closing my door and beginning to get dressed. The outfit of the day was a loose white t-shirt, skinny jeans, flip flops and a beautiful necklace with a couple of lines in the center. I quickly pulled my hair into a ponytail and grabbed my iPod, walking down the hall and playing my music. 

_Today I'll just help the younger ones finish their school up, and then maybe clean my room._ I hadn't even started my music before I heard my name being called. I took my headphones out of my ears and walked into Mrs. Cordona's office. She looked elated, and within a split second the thought crossed my mind.

_Does someone want me?_

I voiced the thought to her, and to my delight I received a frantic nod of yes from Mrs. Cordona.

I covered my mouth, collapsing into the office chair, "No way."

"Yes way! Come here, I think you'll like them," She slid her office chair to the side and I walked over. My body was trembling as I looked at the screen. 

" _Hello Honerva Cordona,_

_My wife and I would like to adopt Aria from your orphanage. My name is John, my wife's name is Korey, and we have two children; Alex and Xavier. Our daughter Alex is currently 16, and Xavier is just a few years younger than her. We are more than willing to pay to have someone come look and make sure we are suitable adopters, and we cannot wait to hear from you._

_Thank you again,_

_The Coopers"._

"I can't believe it!" I said, looking at the woman who I knew most of my life.

"I know! Someone in that state is already on their way, I already emailed them back. As soon as they're approved John will come and pick you up and take you to their house in Tennessee," Mrs. Cordona explained, "I think that they'll be fine though, since John didn't say anything about being threatened by CPS," We both laughed. 

I can't believe it.

I'm finally out of here.

🚨 **Mentioned how Aria got to the orphanage in the first place**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	4. Locked In A Cage

🚨 **Trigger Warning: Abuse situation mentioned** 🚨

By lunchtime, the Cooper's had been approved and I had been told to go pack my suitcase.

I didn't have a lot, just enough outfits to last me a couple of weeks and some possessions I had gained in the last few years of me living here. I made sure that my iPod, a gift to me when I turned 13, was fully charged before John got here just in case.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I had heard those names before. They felt so familiar. I checked my entire room for the third time to make sure I had everything packed before going to get dinner.

The kids were told earlier that I would be leaving, and as expected they all cried. They cried for a solid hour, and Sarah had been my tail since. She grabbed my hand as I was walking down the hallway, and I could feel her trembling as we reached the kitchen.

"John will be here in an hour Aria," Mrs. Cordona said, giving Sarah and me food.

"Okay, thank you," I said, leading Sarah to the table. I helped her into her chair and placed her food in front of her. She ate slowly like she thought the speed of her eating would control how fast time went. I pitied her at that moment, _I'm probably never going to see her again._ I felt sick suddenly but ate anyway. I didn't want her to feel bad for me either.

Sarah and I finished eating and went to my room again. I placed my stuff by the door, and unplugged my iPod, placing the charger neatly into my suitcase. I saw my stuffed animal popping out and paused for a second.

_"Ari this stuffed animal will keep you safe," my mother said, handing me the small cat. It had some sort of scented stuffing in it that lost its smell a long time ago._

_"Thank you, momma," I whispered._ 🚨 _My father was asleep in the next room, and if he had heard me he would hit me again._ 🚨

_"Go to sleep now," She sighed, running her hands through my hair. I fell asleep soon after._

I shook my head and zipped the suitcase. After thinking for a second, I unzipped it quickly and grabbed the animal. I held Scratch close to my chest as I re-zipped the bag. Sarah looked at me curiously, and I shook my head, silently telling her not to question. I sat down on my bed and looked at the cat, remembering when it had been most important to me. This was the only thing I had brought in my home. I remembered my mother snatching it from me one day and giving it back smelling like something else. 

I was lost in thought when I heard the door jingle. _That must be John._ I stood and grabbed my suitcase, Sarah following behind me silently.

When I walked into Mrs. Cordona's office, I saw that she was about to come to get me. She smiled warmly at me and let me step inside.

The man that stood there was tall, just barely taller than Mrs. Cordona, and had black hair that was spiked up. His button-up and black jeans revealed that he had the money to be formal but either didn't want me to feel uncomfortable or didn't feel like going the whole nine yards. When he saw me his face lit up and he held his hand out, "Hey, I'm John, it's nice to meet you."

I didn't like that he held his hand out, but I shook it anyway. It made the fact that I was now legally his daughter all the more uncomfortable. "Nice to meet you too."

"Aria," Mrs. Cordona spoke up, "I'll keep in touch with you, okay?"

I nodded, and she came and enveloped me in a hug. I breathed in her scent one last time and pulled away. I heard a sniffle from Sarah, so I knelt down to hug her. I could hear small sobs coming from her mouth, and it took all my will-power not to say " _No thanks, I'll stay here_."

I eventually stood and turned to John, "You ready to go now, kid?"

I nodded, grabbing the handle of my suitcase. Mrs. Cordona picked Sarah up and walked with us to the front door. John's car was parked in front of the orphanage, and he used his key to unlock it. I gently put my suitcase in the trunk and made sure I had my iPod and Scratch before closing it and getting in on the passenger side. John talked with Mrs. Cordona for a second before coming to the car and getting in. I waved one last time to Mrs. Cordona and Sarah before we pulled away.

"So, Aria, it'll be a while before we get to the house. I have an aux cord if you want to connect your iPod, and we'll stop somewhere for dinner in a few hours. But by then we should be close to the house so the rest of the family will come up to meet us," John explained, turning onto the highway.

I nodded, taking the cord and plugging the small device in. I scrolled through until I found my favorite band, for KING & COUNTRY. Once John heard what was playing, he laughed a little.

I immediately felt defensive, "What?"

John looked at me from the corner of his eye, "This is for KING & COUNTRY right?"

I nodded, a little confused.

"I know the guys in this band," John explained, "We went on tour once."

"You're in a _band?_ " I asked, fully interested in anything John had to say now.

John laughed, "Yeah. I sing for Skillet."

I had heard of them before, but I hadn't listened. Mrs. Cordona said that it would rot my brain. 

"I've heard of you guys before," I said. "Mrs. Cordona wouldn't let me listen to you though."

"What? Why not?" John asked, sounding a little offended.

"She said it would rot our brains," I replied. 

John laughed, "I promise I will try to not rot your brains out."

🚨 **Just mentioned how Aria's father would punish her occasionally**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	5. Come My Way

A few hours later we pulled into a little Mom-and-Pop restaurant that John said was half an hour from the new house. He got out of the car and helped me out. After a second of considering it, I left Scratch on the front seat. John walked beside me as we reached the front doors. A teenager inside saw us and got excited, he looked like a younger version of John. I could hear John laugh as he opened the door, the teen running up to us and hugging him.

"Aria, this is Xavier, your brother, and Alex, your sister," John introduced. I waved shyly, and Alex's face lit up.

"Hey! I like your shirt," Alex said.

I could feel my cheeks heat up, "Thank you."

A waitress called our family, so Alex, Xavier and I'm assuming Korey stood and we all walked to the table together. Alex sat on one side of me, and John sat on the other. Korey sat next to him, and Xavier sat between her and Alex.

"Aria, this is Korey," John introduced, grabbing onto her hand.

"Nice to meet you," I whispered.

"Nice to meet you too honey. Oh, John; Jen and Seth wanted to come to our house after we get home from dinner. Seth would bring Hillary too," Korey said to John.

"I'm okay with that if Aria is comfortable. Aria, Seth, and Jen are members of Skillet. Jen is our drummer and Seth is the guitarist. Are you okay with meeting them tonight or do you want to settle in first?" John turned to me.

I sighed, looking between them, "I think I'll be okay with them coming."

"Yes! Aunt Jen and Uncle Seth!" Xavier shouted, pumping his fists in the air. I smiled as everyone else laughed. I didn't know these people. I didn't want to talk to these people. I just wanted to go and recharge somewhere where there was no one talking to me.

"Aria, you like fashion right?" Korey asked, looking at me while eating bread that had been served.

"Fashion, interior design and photography," I said, picking at my piece. _Please just leave me alone._

"That's cool. Do you think that maybe you could help us get dressed for a photoshoot coming up? We have an album being released soon and our stylist just called in sick," Korey explained.

I thought it over. It actually sounded kind of fun, fashion was my safe space, "Sure."

"Sweet, thank you," Korey smiled at me as the waitress came over to take our order. 

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We finished our dinner around 8 o'clock. Korey said that Seth, Hillary, and Jen were already there. John and I rode back in his car by ourselves, and Korey, Alex, and Xavier would meet us there. He sampled some of his music, and I fell in love instantly. 

We pulled up to the house and I stepped out. John accompanied me to the back and opened the truck for me. I held Scratch in my hand as I pulled the small suitcase out, dragging it behind me as I walked into the house behind John.

"So, I'll give you the tour really quick. Just so you know, there's currently no furniture in your room because we were waiting for you to decide what you wanted, so you'll be spending tonight in Alex's room," John explained, opening the door. I could hear laughter coming from some room downstairs, but I took a second to look around.

The house was huge, with hardwood flooring and leather couches. The kitchen looked fancy: like a professional chef worked in there. John led me up the stairs and showed me all the bedrooms, then back down the stairs to show me the basement.

When I got there, Korey had arrived with Alex and Xavier. Three other adults were in there as well, two women and a man. I assumed the man was Seth, and that one of the women was Hillary and the other was Jen. I just didn't know which was Jen and which was Hillary. They were all dressed like John; rich with a taste of lazy. 

The one with lavender hair sprung up, "'Ello! I'm Jen. It's nice to meet you."

"You too," I mumbled for what had to be the fifth time that day.

Jen looked me over, "I love the outfit."

I blushed, smiling, "Thank you."

After a while, Jen, Seth, and Hillary had to go back to their homes. Jen would be back tomorrow to go shopping with Korey, Alex and I for stuff in my room. It was just a little bigger than average, and I would be sharing a bathroom with Alex and Xavier. The closet was definitely bigger than the one I had at the orphanage. 

I followed Alex to her room, watching as she pulled the trundle out on her bed. We worked together to make the shorter bed, and afterward, I was exhausted. 

I collapsed into the bed just as Alex did the same in the bed next to me. I could hear her play some music quietly, it sounded like for KING & COUNTRY. I smiled before shutting my eyes and falling asleep soon after. 

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The next morning I awoke to a lot of pain in my back. I groaned, it wasn't unusual but it really sucked. 

Alex's head appeared over the side of her bed, "You okay sis?"

I assessed the amount of pain that there was, "I'll be okay. My back just hurts a little bit." I moved to sit up and winced when the muscles began to ache once more.

"Let me help you," Alex offered, holding her hand out.

 _I can do it._ I gently pushed past her hand, despite the pain I was in. She shrugged and climbed out of her bed, helping me clear the bed and push the trundle back in so we could go get breakfast. From whatever the smell was, whoever was down there was probably making something good. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	6. Energy

Alex and I got downstairs to find John cooking bacon and pancakes. I yawned, catching his attention. To my surprise, he was wearing an apron that said: "Kiss the Chef". I giggled and sat at the island, Alex sitting next to me.

"Alright ladies, chocolate chip pancakes with bacon served right up," John said, handing us plates. I grabbed the syrup that was sitting on the counter and poured it all over both my pancakes and my bacon. I dug in, and John eventually sat down next to Alex and began to eat as well. Korey and Xavier came down nearly an hour later, much to my surprise. They seemed like the morning people, not Alex and John.

As Korey was sitting down John went to the fridge and grabbed her a Monster. I smiled as he kissed her, putting the drink in her hands. She drank it greedily.

"Korey's going without coffee for a while," John explained, kissing his wife's forehead. She ate quickly, nearly choking on a piece of bacon. Xavier ate slowly though. 

I eventually went upstairs in order to get dressed. I pulled out a pair of high waist black shorts and a white t-shirt, tucking the shirt into the shorts before slipping a pair of Converse on. I walked back downstairs, hoping I looked okay. I made a mental list of things to buy for my room and put a _floor-length mirror_ on it. 

Alex was wearing a t-shirt with _LEDGER_ written on it and jeans. Her feet came in sneakers and her arm held up a small purse. Korey came down a few minutes later in jeans and a t-shirt as well. Her feet were clad in flip flops, and her arm carried a bigger purse.

"Are you ready? We'll pick Jen up on the way," Korey said after I nodded. After hugs (and kisses on Korey's behalf) to the boys, we all went and got into the car. Korey began to play some pop music I had never heard before. It sounded fun, so I began dancing a little in my seat. Korey looked back at me and smiled. I blushed and stopped moving, looking down at my iPod. I had some music playing quietly while we drove. Alex and Korey kept up a short conversation, and we picked Jen up after about 15 minutes. 

"Hullo honey!" Jen said, waving at Alex and I. I gave a short wave but moved back to looking at my iPod. I really just didn't want to talk to people. Especially people I didn't know. I mean, I kinda knew them but I just didn't feel like they knew _me._ I was busy putting together outfits for imaginary people, or maybe myself when I'm rich. 

We arrived at a mall and stepped out. Jen wrapped her arm around Alex and led her forward, and Korey joined me in walking slowly. I kept my earbuds out though, in case she decided she wanted to talk to me.

"So, what are some of the things you like?" Korey asked, looking over at me.

I kept my gaze on the ground, "I like photography and fashion." I looked at Korey to see that she looked elated. _Is it because I'm just talking to her?_

"Would you like to go look at some things you could get while you're here for those? Like a camera, or a sewing machine?" Korey looked at me.

I raised an eyebrow at her, "What is the budget? I don't want to spend too much-"

"Honey we have _18 years_ to make up for. You don't really have a budget, okay?" Korey's interruption sent excited butterflies to my chest. 

I nodded, "Okay."

Korey looked ahead, "Girls, first stop, Best Buy!"

Jen smiled and nodded, leading my sister into the mall. They paused as Korey and I slowly caught up with them. I really didn't want to run today, especially with my back being in so much pain.

"Is there a look you specifically want in your room?" Jen asked, unwrapping her arm from Alex and coming up next to me.

I shrugged, "I've never really looked at room designs."

"Well, I have an idea. What is the biggest interior design tip you learned when it comes to a bedroom?" Jen sat us down on a bench and pulled a sketchbook out of her purse, handing it to Korey along with a pencil. She began to sketch something as Jen looked at me.

"Put the three most used items in a triangular pattern?" I said, but my voice made it sound like a question. She was really making me question what I had learned.

"Yeah, so as soon as Korey is done with the dimensions for your room, we can plan out the basics and go from there, how does that sound?" Jen asked. I nodded, and she soon stood our little group up to go to the food court because "tables _and_ food!"

Soon we were sipping on drinks as Korey finished the last of the drawing (with measurements from John). Soon she slid the sketchbook over to the side of the table that Jen and I were sitting at. 

"Okay, I don't have as much interior design knowledge that you do, but I'll try my best to help you, okay?" Jen looked at me and I nodded, "What three things do you think you'll use the most?"

I thought for a second, "Uhm... My bed, definitely," I watched as she scrawled _bed_ down in the corner, "My desk, and my closet or dresser." She wrote a _desk_ and _closet/dresser_ by where she wrote bed.

"So let's place those first then," She slid the sketchbook so it was between the two of us, and slowly we worked through all the pieces of my room. By the time that lunch rolled around, we had planned out the entire room, down to where my iPod would go when it wasn't charging.

We went and ordered lunch before walking around the mall, stopping in random stores in order to grab things for my room. I went with white as the main color with yellow and purple accents, because those were supposed to bring happiness, make me feel better, and compliment each other. By the time dinner rolled around, we had ordered all the stuff that wouldn't fit in the car to be sent to the house. 

"We do have one more stop," Korey said, turning into a T-Mobile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	7. Vapor

When we got to the store I couldn't help but look around with my jaw hanging by my feet. Phones covered the walls, and the store smelled like fabric softener, a smell I had come to hate. Once I realized the smell blanketing the air, my nose found itself wrinkling up. Korey gave me an odd look, but I ignored it and walked over to the phones.

"Go ahead and pick whichever one you want Aria," Korey said. Alex came in with Jen and they sat on one of the benches by the checkout. I nodded and looked around, my eyes finally landing on an iPhone 7. 

I walked over to it, seeing that it had a sleek yellow back with a shiny screen. Yellow is my favorite color. I pointed it out to Korey and she nodded. 

We must have spent another hour in the store before finally being able to leave with the new phone. All I could do was look at it in awe; I had nothing but my iPod before now. Alex seemed to see my confusion and caught up with me as we were walking back to the car.

"Do you want me to help you get it set up when we get to the car?" She spoke in a low whisper as if she thought she would hurt me by asking.

I looked up at her, "Actually, yeah. I've only ever had my iPod, and I feel like this is way different." I began to laugh a little, which led to Alex giggling as well. We finally climbed into the car and Alex sat next to me, taking my phone when I handed it over. Alex turned it on and walked me through getting things like my wallpaper and contacts set up. She transferred a lot from her phone, including our family and the rest of Skillet. 

Then I heard the worst words I could possibly hear, "Aria, what do you want to do for school? I know you're technically a senior, but you have to finish the year out." Korey was looking at me through the rearview mirror. 

"I... Could we do online?" I asked, looking at her. I really didn't want to go to public school, there was too much opportunity for something bad to happen, like someone coming in to shoot up the place or the school burning down or-

"Of course! That's kind of what Alex and Xavier do since we're on the road so much!" Korey smiled at me, and I found myself smiling back. It felt... nice. She didn't ask why she didn't care. It was almost freeing in a way. Most adults want to know why you want one thing and not the other. But she didn't, and that's why I liked her. 

"Cool," I looked back at Alex to see she was fiddling with a couple more things on my phone. I pulled my iPod and headphones out, beginning to play my music. She handed my phone and I began to look for games to play.

"Aria, what are you going to want for dinner?" Korey asked, looking back at me again. Her face held what looked like a little bit of anger, but I wrote it off as being tired (I found out later that she was, in fact, tired). 

"I'm okay with whatever," I said, looking between the other girls in the car.

"Would barbecue be okay?" Korey asked. I nodded, just wanting the questioning to be over.

"Four Rivers!" Alex said, pumping her fist. I giggled, feeling relief flood my muscles. I could feel my back begin to rest against the seat more as I continued to talk to the other girls.

"So, we have a photoshoot for our album Victorious at some point in the next couple of weeks, you said you'd be okay with doing our outfits?" Korey asked as we pulled into a restaurant.

I nodded, "I just need you to tell me what kind of look you're going for, and I'll help you guys shop for stuff." I was excited to be working with fashion again, I hadn't been able to since I took the class in middle school.

"Alright. I'm going to call John real quick and have him bring Xavier up," Korey pulled out her phone as Jen turned towards me and Alex.

"You like photography right?" Jen asked.

I nodded again, it felt like I was doing that a lot, "Yes ma'am."

"Cool. I think I know what I'm getting you for your adoption-slash-birthday gift," Jen grinned at me, and I smiled right back.

"What kind of music do you like though?" Alex asked, grabbing my attention.

"Pop mostly, I haven't really listened to anything else because the orphanage said it would rot my brains out," I explained, my face heating up.

Alex giggled, "You'll be listening to a lot more rock now."

I smiled, "I figured I would be."

Korey hung up the phone, "John and Xavier will be here in about ten minutes, then we'll all go in together."

I bobbed my head, "Okie dokie."

Korey smiled at me as Alex nodded with me, talking to Jen about something related to school. I scrolled on my phone, going and downloading a few more apps I had wanted for a while, including Tumblr, Snapchat and Instagram.

We continued to chat for a little bit until the boys rolled up, covered in what seemed to be paint splatters. We all got out and Jen jokingly said: "You guys painted without me?"

John laughed, "Yeah, Xavier had a model car he wanted to finish up while you girls were out for the day." He ruffled Xavier's hair. Xavier laughed, and I found myself shrinking behind Alex. She turned to look at me but I gently shook my head, pleading with her not to ask. She nodded, and the family went into the restaurant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	8. Under My Skin

****TRIGGER WARNING: NIGHTMARE SEQUENCE THAT ALLUDES TO AN ABUSIVE SITUATION. TO AVOID, SKIP OVER THE ITALICS AND I WILL SUMMARIZE THE PART AT THE BOTTOM****

We found ourselves seated near the door. I was glad because if anything happened I could run. I was also facing the door. And John and Korey. Alex was on my left, and no one was seated on my right since I was at the end of the table. We had just gotten drinks (Korey insisted I tried their sweet tea). I found myself looking over the menu as everyone talked. I had never been here before (obviously) and so I needed to actually figure out what I wanted. I thought I heard Alex say something along the lines of the photoshoot, so I decided to listen in.

"I really think Aria should do it for us," Korey was saying.

"Have we seen anything she has done though?" Jen asked.

"I'm one hundred and ten percent sure she would be more than willing to show us," John said. 

I blushed and looked over the entree part of the menu. _Pulled pork sounds good._

The waiter suddenly appeared with our drinks and took our food orders. I looked at the adults and then back to Alex and Xavier who were seated close to me to keep me busy I guess.

"Do you have any pictures of outfits you've made?" John asked suddenly, looking at me like he knew I had been listening.

I nodded, pulling my iPod out to show them. John gently took it from me, since he understood just how much it meant to me, and swiped through the pictures with Korey.

"You designed all these?" He asked.

I nodded, "And took the pictures too."

I have never seen a man's neck snap up quicker, "These are professional quality!"

The corners of my mouth found themselves sliding up, "Yeah. I used the camera that Mrs. Cardona used to get adoption pictures, and then transferred them to the computer and then onto there."

John turned the iPod around to show Jen, who nodded while sipping her drink, "That's pretty good. We already have a photographer, but you could totally do the outfit design."

I smiled, "When is it?" 

Korey pulled her phone up, "In a couple of weeks. We should go shopping for pieces though, so we can start working on putting outfits together."

I nodded, "Sounds good."

We got our food soon after and found ourselves on our way home. I rode with the girls again, since we had to drop Jen off anyway, and after about an hour we were at home.

John and Xavier were waiting at the door for us, obviously excited. They had taken all the things from our car to bring to the house to deal with, and from the looks on their faces, they had set it up already for me.

We approached, and John called out "Aria can we show you your room?"

I giggled and nodded, allowing Xavier to take my hand and lead me to my room. As we approached, a pair of hands went over my eyes. I instantly stopped, but John encouraged me to keep going. Xavier led me slowly and paused as he opened the door. John led me closer to the room and finally uncovered my eyes.

The way they had decorated my room was phenomenal. They had taken my posters and hung them up with frames, and had made my bed and desk and put them on separate walls. A sewing area was next to the desk, which I thought was cool. 

I stepped in a little, jaw basically on the floor. It was _beautiful._

"Do you like it?" Xavier asked.

"I hate it." I turned back to the duo to see long faces. "I'm kidding, it looks beautiful." The three of us laughed, and the boys enveloped me in a hug. At first, I liked it, but soon after realizing that I was being covered in sweat I squealed and began to wiggle.

"Alright you three, are we going to let Aria actually get ready for bed or are you going to cover her in more sweat than a human can naturally produce?" Korey asked. 

After some grumbling, John and Xavier released themselves from around me. I rolled my shoulders, trying to get the sweat off me. Xavier fist-bumped me before heading back into the living room. John gave me a fist-bump as well but followed Korey to their room. I smiled, going into my room and changing into PJs.

****Trigger Start****

_There were screams coming from somewhere in the house. I looked down to see that I was back to my younger self, with what looked to be an extra finger or two. That should have tipped me off that it was just a dream, but I was too focused on the screams to comprehend it._

_The difference in this situation was that I was no longer in my childhood home, but instead a more disgusting version of the home that is currently mine, with the Cooper's. The hall that I stepped into seemed to go on forever, but I took off anyway, desperate to help whoever was screaming._

_I arrived at the room that John and Korey slept in, which was the room the screaming was coming from. I gently placed my ear on the door, listening for the screams just to make sure. After another one sounded, I was filled with determination once more. But, as I went to open the door, it slammed open to reveal John. My god was he a mess. His beard was matted, and he had blood on his hands. The determination I had in my body left within a second, and I began to run from him. But I couldn't. The carpet was wrapped around my ankles, and John's hands roughly pulled on mine._

I sat up, panting. The blanket was wrapped tightly around my waist, and I was covered in a thin layer of sweat. My breath couldn't slow itself down, and Scratch was at the end of the bed. I quickly unraveled myself from the blanket and grabbed Scratch, clutching him to my chest. I didn't fall asleep again that night. 

**ARIA HAS A DREAM THAT JOHN HAD BEEN ABUSING KOREY, AND WOULD SOON BEGIN TO ABUSE HER TOO.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	9. Sometimes

The next day was entirely uneventful. Except for the fact that I was terrified all day. I nearly refused to come out of my room. But I didn't want to tip John and Korey off to the fact that I was scared out of my mind. 

When I came out, it was mostly for meals. John was recording a podcast downstairs, so he would be stuck down there all day. It filled me with comfort, and I found myself on my laptop for most of the day, mostly just working on making outfits based on pieces of clothing I saw pop up. 

Around lunch Korey came in, holding a plate with a sandwich and some chips.

I looked up and smiled at her, but once she sat down I began to grow confused.

"Hey, you feeling okay kiddo?" Her voice was soft like she was walking on eggshells with me.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to adjust. I figured that I would just get used to my room, and then start moving on to the rest of the house later," I said, putting my laptop next to me. Easy lie.

"Well, if you want, I have some laptop work to do too, so you and I could go down to the living room and work quietly together," Korey smiled. 

I nodded, "Maybe you could look over some of the outfits I've made so far for the photoshoot? They're just general ideas." I picked the sandwich up and began to eat as she nodded enthusiastically. 

"That sounds like a _great_ idea kiddo. I'll meet you downstairs, okay?" She patted my leg a couple of times before getting up and leaving. I nodded, eating a couple of chips as Korey walked out of the room. I looked around my bed and began gathering my stuff, grabbing my headphones as well so I could continue to listen to music. 

I joined her after a few minutes of debating whether to leave my room or not, despite my promise to Korey. After some mental debate, I finally forced myself to get up and out of the room.

Korey was curled up on the couch, headphones on and bopping her head to something on the laptop. Her feet were curled next to her and under a blanket. I grabbed a throw blanket and joined Korey, plugging my headphones in and continuing the process of making outfits. Occasionally, she would hand me her headphones and ask if something sounded good, and I would show her my laptop to see if something looked good. We continued like that for hours, eventually, I finished and started watching YouTube, still pausing occasionally.

Vibrating on the floor made me look up to see John come running up the stairs, looking so excited. I tilted my head, confused as to why he looked that way and also trying not to look scared. Korey pulled her headphones off, grinning at her husband like he hadn't-

 _That was just a dream. Relax, you'll be okay._ I sighed, maintaining my gaze on John. 

"What is it, babe?" Korey asked.

"Tour! We're going on tour!" John said excitedly.

"With who?" I asked, gripping my laptop. I looked down to see white knuckles. I gulped, loosening my grip a little.

"for KING and COUNTRY, and a band called Anthem Lights. They live by Nashville, so we'll be able to meet up together before the tour and get to hang out a bit," John said.

_for KING AND COUNTRY?!_

"That's awesome," Korey said, "Baby you need to come hear this track," Korey said, offering him her headphones. As he walked over, my grip continued to tighten until I couldn't take it anymore and just pulled my headphones back on.

Before I could play anything, I heard Korey ask if I was okay.

"Yeah, I'm good," I mumbled. 

Later that day, Alex and Xavier had found their way back home (by which I mean John went and picked them up). In the meantime, I had been scrolling Facebook and joining groups that I was interested in, like Thomas Sanders Fans, or a Harry Potter group I found. They were pretty cool. But, the Skillet group that I joined, in particular, had fascinated me. The people of the group, mostly teens, had been doing a round of introductions. I figured that I would do one as well.

I quickly went and found a picture of myself that I thought was cute and attached it to the empty post, before beginning to fill it with words.

" _Hi guys! My name is Aria Smith, and I'm new to the group. I'm turning 18 in a few days and was an orphan up until earlier this week when I was adopted by some cool people. I like sewing, and I've recently been getting into reading. But, since I was kinda socially cut off at my orphanage, I would love to get to know some of you guys! Thank you for adding me!_ "

After I posted that I continued to scroll, but within a few minutes I got a couple of comments on my post. 

**Amanda Wolf:** Welcome to the group! Which Skillet song is your favorite?

 **Harry Dell:** You look really pretty!

And a couple of others that made me smile. I commented and replied to as many people as I could before setting the phone down as my siblings walked in the door.

John and Korey told them the news, and they began bouncing up and down in excitement. I just _didn't get it_. I didn't understand how touring could be so good, how it could make life so much fun. Of course, I have never been on a tour, so I wouldn't really _know._

How bad could touring be anyhow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	10. Madness In Me

🚨 **TRIGGER WARNING: PANIC ATTACK AND MENTIONS OF ABUSE🚨**

Well, it turns out that the tour with for KING and COUNTRY and Anthem Lights didn't start until August, although the bands would be having weekly meetings here until then.

As Alex and I ascended from our basement House Hunters binge, we found John standing in the entrance next to a bunch of guys. _That's_ how I found out about these meetings.

A few tiny kids were running around, and when they noticed Alex and ran over, the men in the entry finally saw us.

"Alex! Aria! You remember Joel and Luke right?" John asked, pointing to the two in question.

Alex said a chirpy greeting, and all I could manage was a small wave as John introduced us to Caleb, Chad, Joey, and Spencer of Anthem Lights.

"It's nice to meet you," Joel had said once everyone knew my name.

"You-you as well," I mumbled. The kids, who I learned were Jude, Phoenix, and Emmett continued to run into the living room. Caleb and Luke both had baby carriers, holding babies named Leo and Beckett. Apparently, Alex, Xavier and I would be babysitting these kiddos tonight. 

The doorbell rang one more time and John opened it to reveal Seth. He waved, and with that, I slipped out of the room to go hide in my own room.

🚨In my mind's eye, all I could see were those men ganging up on me and doing stuff to hurt me. I know they wouldn't, they were all godly men. But... something in my brain told me otherwise. And I couldn't tell it otherwise. 

I collapsed into bed, shaking and trying to hold back tears. I reached for Scratch, holding him close to my chest. I struggled to grab the blanket, but once I did I snatched it up so that it covered my body. Unfortunately, it was snagged under something, so when I tugged it let go suddenly and I punched myself in the face. That only made the tears come out quicker, and I turned under the blanket and covered my face.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it up, trembling, to see a message from Alex.

 **Alex:** You okay? 

I thought about telling her for a moment. She was watching 5 kids. She needed to focus on them, not on me. 

**Me:** I'll be fine. You and Xavier focus on the kids. I'll be out in a little bit.

She didn't respond. I didn't plan on coming out, not until Korey was home. She left a few hours ago for girl's night with Jen and the wives of the men downstairs. They wouldn't be back until later. I knew it. I just clutched Scratch until I passed out from exhaustion. 🚨

The next morning was a hard one. I awoke under the covers still, sweating. I gently peeled off the blanket, groaning. I looked to see a towel on my dresser and grabbed it, along with some clothes for the day, before leaving my room to go shower. 

When I saw myself in the mirror I cringed. The attack had exhausted me, but it was one of the better ones I had had in a very long time. My hair was stuck up in places I didn't know it could be stuck up at, and my face was puffy and flushed. My eyes were bloodshot, and one had a bruise forming under it. The other had red streaks going through it, I had burst a vessel or two.

I started the shower and turned the water up enough that it would steam. As soon as I stepped in, I felt the water burn into my skin. It comforted me. I took my time, and when I came out my entire body was red. I got dressed and found my way back into my room.

"Aria? Are you up?" My shoulders scrunched as I rushed into my room. It was John. I _really_ didn't want to talk to him. I tossed my dirty clothes into the hamper and dove under the covers. Just as I pulled the blanket over my head the door creaked open. 

"Aria?" I tried to breathe like I would if I was sleeping and listened for the door to click. Once it did again, I slowly pulled the covers off, pulling my phone out. 

About an hour later I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I mumbled. Korey came in and sat on my bed.

"Are you okay honey? Your eye is bruised," Korey asked, leaning forward.

"I was pulling my blanket up and accidentally punched myself in the face," I said, smiling at her. It was the truth, so I had no worry about her thinking otherwise.

"Why is your other eye bloodshot?" Her voice was quiet.

I hesitated. I knew that my profile on the adoption website mentioned I had PTSD, but I don't think Korey or John remembered that.

"I had a panic attack last night," I mumbled.

She nodded, "Do you know what caused it?"

I sighed, "All the guys coming over at once... Guys are... a big trigger for me. Especially older guys."

"Is that why you've been avoiding John?"

I nodded. I was beginning to have trouble talking.

Korey sighed, "Can I talk to John about this? We had a party planned for you today since it's your birthday, but I don't want to overwhelm you."

I smiled, _they actually care._

"Yeah, it's okay."

"Awesome. C'mon, we have breakfast for you. John made pancakes with candles in them."

"Aww yeah!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	11. Believe

Korey and I descended down the stairs to the first floor to faint singing coming from the kitchen. Korey smiled, taking my hand and leading me further in.

"Happy birthday to you!" John, Alex, and Xavier sang, surrounding a chair at the end of the table that held a plate of pancakes in front of it. As far as I could see there were 18 candles.

I felt my cheeks heat up, "Thank you, guys."

"Come blow them out!" Alex said. John pulled out the chair for me and I stepped forward, sitting down. John pushed me in, grinning as I thought about my wish.

_I wish that... I wish that I can be happy this year._

I blew out the candles and my family cheered, sitting down. John and Korey sat on my right, Alex and Xavier on my left. Everyone held their hands out, and I, confused, grabbed onto Korey's and Alex's hands. Everyone looked down, and it occurred to me that they were about to pray.

"Dear God," John began, "Thank you. Thank you for giving us Aria, and even though we've only had her a few days, she has been _such_ a blessing. Her passion for fashion and love for all things the internet is so unique to her. Let her use these things for your glory. Amen."

"Amen," I mumbled. I hadn't really ever prayed before, so the experience was weird for me. As soon as we opened our eyes though, we were allowed to dig in. I was excited for the pancakes since I saw they had sprinkles poured in (something I had never seen before). 

After Korey finished her breakfast she said "I'm going to go get dressed. John, do you want to come with me?" John looked like he was about to protest but as soon as he saw her pointed look he nodded and stood, joining her.

"What was that about?" Alex asked, giggling.

I shrugged, playing along and giggling as well. My siblings and I must have been down there for at least half an hour on our own, which I think flew over Alex and Xavier's heads. However, we finished eating our food and put our plates into the dishwasher, moving to the living room.

Xavier grabbed a remote for their PlayStation and tossed it to me, turning the device on. I looked at him curiously, unsure of what to do.

"Have you ever had a PlayStation before? Or played on one?" Xavier asked, scrolling through his games.

"No, I don't think I have," I mumbled, looking at the screen. I had heard of a _ton_ of these games, but never actually played any of them.

The teen turned his controller off and grabbed mine, scrolling to a game called 'Detroit: Become Human'. I tilted my head curiously, watching as the game loaded up. Xavier gave me back my remote as the main menu loaded up.

" _Hello! Welcome to the DETROIT experience. I'm an android and I'll be your hostess. Before we begin, let's make some adjustments to optimize your experience_ ," A pretty girl was taking up most of the menu, smiling. I blinked a couple of times, going through what she instructed me to do.

I must have been there for hours, just playing the game. John and Korey came down early through my playing, just watching as I experienced the game, and gaming in general, for the first time. I was playing as Kara, running across a road, when things got so stressful for me that I had to put down the controller.

"That... was awesome," I said, looking at the screen. I heard laughter behind me and turned to see my family watching how I played. I blushed, looking back at the screen as Xavier stood to grab the controller. He switched it over to another game and tossed John a controller as I went to sit next to Korey on the couch.

"So, we are still having the party, but if you feel uncomfortable you can always go up into your room. Is that okay?" Her voice was low. I nodded, thanking her.

"When does it start?" I asked.

"In about an hour. Jen will be here in half an hour with cake though!" Korey told me, smiling.

I grinned, "Awesome!"

We ended up just chilling like that until Jen arrived. Korey went to go open the door and, not wanting to be in a room with John for much longer, I stood to go with her.

Jen smiled, "Hey! Happy birthday Aria!" 

"Hi Jen," I smiled at her, closing the door as she walked into the kitchen with Korey. I followed the two women, listening to their conversation. 

Jen set the cake down on the counter and turned to me, "Now I can hug you! Hi honey!" She wrapped her arms around me and I smiled, hugging her back. 

"Korey where are we putting gifts?" Jen asked, holding up a little bag.

"Table," Korey pointed, going into the fridge and grabbing some food, "Honey! Can you come and start on burgers?"

"Yeah, baby!" John came in a minute later, kissed Korey, and took the burgers out to the back porch. 

Within half an hour the house was full, but because of the steady increase of people, I didn't really start freaking out right away. for KING & COUNTRY and their families were there, along with the band Anthem Lights (and their families) and a few other people. The constant chatter was almost... comforting. I had missed this, since moving out of the orphanage. 

I was on the couch when another woman came over, "Hi! You must be Aria. I'm Moriah."

"It's nice to meet you," I mumbled, watching as Alex played with Leo and Beckett on the floor.

"Have you liked living here?" Moriah asked.

I nodded, "It's already way better than the orphanage."

"Did you live anywhere before the orphanage?" 

This time the nod was hesitant, "Yes. But... It wasn't exactly the best."

She nodded, "I get it. You don't have to keep talking about it. Just know that we're all here for you though, alright?"

I nodded. And this time, I actually believed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	12. Eating Me Away

I bounced between people, going from listening to conversations to actually joining in. None of them were small talk, each was deep in its own way. Spencer and Joey spent most of their time discussing basketball, something I had no clue about. When I talked to Korey and Jen they talked about art, but when I talked to Joel I was the most surprised. 

I was sitting in one of the chairs in the living room, about an hour after I talked to Moriah. He sat down on the couch next to me and introduced himself. I was on edge as soon as he sat down. I didn't know this man, but Moriah told me that he was her husband and nothing but kind. And he was also in my favorite band, so I was an odd mix of star-struck and terrified.

"So I heard you like fashion," Joel said, smiling.

I nodded, curling my legs up underneath me. 

"That's awesome. I do love your outfit," The fact that he pointed out my jeans and t-shirt made me blush. I had just pulled all this on this morning in a rush.

"Thanks," My voice was more of a mumble. 

"John told me you're a big fan of our band?" Joel asked. 

I nodded.

"That's cool," Joel looked like he was going to say more, but John called for food in the kitchen. I stood and stretched, walking and talking with Joel. I didn't know that they had based a movie off the Priceless movement, and I told him I would see it. 

I grabbed a burger and some chips, feeling a little nauseous. Probably nerves. Joel and I moved back to the couch, talking and talking until John called us again, this time for cake.

I entered the kitchen, my face heating up. I looked around the room and only saw faces who truly _cared_ for me, even though I haven't known these people for very long. The candles were lit, and for the second time that day I was sung to.

I made the same wish I did earlier because if I wish for something twice it's more likely to happen right? (I'm not entirely sure that's how wishes work so we'll roll with it). 

I opened my eyes after the wish, watching as Korey came next to me and cut the cake, giving me the first slice. The corner! Corners were my favorite because they typically have more frosting. Everyone else got their cake as I stood, moving back into the seat I had earlier. After a little bit Joel joined me on the couch again.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before Joel spoke up, "I noticed that you ran off last night." This time his voice was quiet. There was no one really by us though, and they were all absorbed in their own conversations. They wouldn't have heard us.

I nodded, "What about it?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You seemed..." We locked eyes, "frightened."

I nodded again, "I was."

"May I ask why?"

I sighed. He was bound to figure out eventually, "My biological father wasn't exactly the best..."

Joel nodded, "You were afraid we would do something that he did."

I laughed a little and looked at him, "You read my mind." After a moment of silence, I sighed, "Can you... please not tell the other guys?"

Joel tilted his head, "Why?"

"I don't want them thinking I'm some kind of weirdo kid," I mumbled. I had been called that plenty of times in school. 

Joel nodded, "Your secret is safe with me."  
  


━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━

It wasn't until 10 o'clock that everyone ended up going home. I was completely exhausted, but I knew I had gained some new friends. Spencer and Joey were actually really cool (and really dorky). They actually loved video games as well and promised gaming on the tour that I could join in on. 

Alex was asleep on the couch, and I was about to be asleep as well. The door shut as the last guest left. Korey came over and shook me gently, helping me wake up. She let me walk to my room, and I didn't even change out of my clothes before passing out in my bed.

_I was running again. This time, in a field. It felt so freeing, and the sun shining brought warmth to my skin. There was a line of trees on the edge of the field, and the light still somehow shone through the trees. I was running through the wheat, brushing the stalks with my hands._

_The sky grew dark, and I looked up. A cloud was covering the sun. Oh well, it will pass._

_I looked around, watching as the wheat swayed. I saw a little patch where the wheat didn't match the rest. I started running, reaching it in a matter of seconds._

_It was covered in flowers of all types and colors. Daisies, roses, sunflowers, poppies. They were all beautiful. I knelt down and grabbed a rose that was orange with red edges. It was beautiful._

_I felt something hit my skin. I looked up and it had started raining. I stood, looking up. It was refreshing._

_"ARIA!" I heard._

_"ARIA WE'RE GONNA FIND YOU!"_

_I knew who it was. John and Joel. I took off running, I didn't want them to find me. Eventually, I could see the tree line again._

_I pushed myself harder, panting. I was about to step foot in the tree line, FREEDOM!, but my arms were snatched, tugging me away from the woods._

_"No! NO!" I screamed. I was brought back into the same clearing, only to face my fathers. Both looked pissed. I struggled, trying to escape who I thought was Joel's arms._

_He started shaking me, "Wake up Aria! Wake up!"_

I gasped, bolting up in bed. Korey was next to me, a worried expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" Her voice was low, "You were screaming and thrashing."

I didn't say anything, leaning forward to hug her. I couldn't stop myself from sobbing. She rubbed my back, staying with me until John came in asking if we wanted breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	13. Everything

Most of the next week was spent in silence. I helped Korey shop for clothes for the photoshoot, and since it was just us I talked. My voice was very, _very_ quiet though. When we were at home or around anyone else, I was silent.

Everyone noticed. Everyone asked if I was okay. No one got an answer. I hadn't told anyone was the dream was about. Korey just always murmured something along the lines of 'give her some space' when people got too pester-y. 

But today was the day of the photoshoot. I was using my voice when I had to, but it was scratchy from not using it. They would all be walking around with a camera the whole time, filming. So a smile would be plastered on my face. It was fake, but I hope no one would notice.

After breakfast, we went down to the church to film in, clothes hanging in the back of one car (that Korey and I were in) and the rest of the family in John's truck.

"You okay honey?" Korey asked, reaching her hand out for mine. 

I grabbed it, shrugging. 

"We'll try and keep the camera out of your face, sound good?" Korey smiled at me.

I nodded, mumbling a small "thank you".

"Of course Aria. We don't want you to be uncomfortable, and I'm not sure how crazy the fans will get once they see we have three children now," Korey laughed a little and I nodded.

I wasn't sure how to react to their fans. I knew they were split as either Christians or non-Christians since it was hard to know if Skillet wasn't Christian if you weren't one too. I didn't want them going crazy, I just wanted to be integrated in slowly.

"Maybe you can show me once or twice, but not mention I'm your kid? And then over time, once people get accustomed to me being in videos you can tell them?" I mumbled.

Korey nodded, "That's a good plan. I'll let John know once we get to the church, okay?"

I nodded. It didn't take long, but getting everything set up in the church took at least an hour. Korey and I were popping tags off of outfits when John came up to us with a camera.

"What are we doing ladies?" John asked, holding the phone casually. 

"We are tagging tags off of everybody's clothes before they wear them for the shoot," Korey explained, "cuz' we bought some new stuff, didn't know if it fit everybody right and in the end the stuff that works, now we have to cut tags off cuz otherwise we get over there, and everybody's manic, and everybody wants to change, and then I'm like 'oh my gosh we don't have scissors... and there's tags all over the clothes!' so making sure everything's sorted as much as we can before we're all under pressure. You know what I'm saying?" John navigated the camera the entire time, making sure I wasn't in the shot (although seeing the top of my head was inevitable towards the end there. 

As soon as the tags were off I started rearranging the clothes into the outfits I had picked out for everyone, although they knew I was open to mixing up pieces if need be. Korey went off somewhere, leaving me in silence with my own thoughts; something I both hated and loved. As I was working on the guys' stuff Korey came over to ask if she and John could record the girls' stuff, to which I nodded, walking over to her as she explained to the 'audience' what they were looking at. I moved a few pieces out of the way for her, silent. 

As they were taking pictures I kept getting outfits ready for the band. They all had their stuff on and kept coming in and out at random points. I walked out with Korey and Jen at one point, watching as they took pictures. They looked way better than I could have expected. The camerawoman showed me a few pictures, I just couldn't get over how _cool_ they looked. Of course, there were some outfit adjustments by the crew, which I didn't mind. It was my first photoshoot, after all, so I didn't mind the adjustments.

After we got dinner the photoshoot was done. Alex and Xavier had been in the kitchen the whole time, working on homework. After we finished John started doing some weird dance for the audience, showing just how excited he was. I couldn't help the smile that came to my face, just because John was such a big dork. After Korey finished recording she noticed my smile as John continued to dance around and she came up and wrapped her arms around my shoulder.

"Feeling better?" She asked.

I nodded. I loved today, even if I was silent for most of it. I was in my element, turning what I loved into something I could actually do as a job. 

"That's great honey. You ready to go home though?"

I nodded again, "Yeah, I'm tired of standing." I smiled, but my throat hurt. I was also freezing, wrapped in a barely-there jacket. 

"Understandable," Korey said, "We'll get you some hot tea to help your throat, okay?"

I nodded. We began loading all the clothes up back into the car, ready to go home. As I was climbing in the car I saw the bushes nearby shake. I paused, and Korey noticed.

"Aria?" Korey asked, one foot in the truck. She noticed I paused, looking at the bushes. I slowly got out, walking over. I was freezing and ready to go home, but curious. Once I reached the bush I knelt down slowly, using one hand to move the bush around to see what had caused it to move. 

A small kitten fell to the ground, meowing in pain. I gasped, reaching in and grabbing the small thing. It continued to meow, near screaming levels.

"It's a kitten," I whispered. 

"Aria? You okay honey?" Korey asked from right behind me. She saw what I held in my hand and gasped, kneeling as well. 

"Can I keep it?" I said, looking up at her.

"Let's see if we can find its mom first," Korey suggested, beginning to look around.

Needless to say, we did find it... It was behind the bush and looked like it had been in a fight that it didn't win. I frowned, stepping over the bush to look at it. Korey whimpered softly. 

I looked down at the cat in my hands. I noticed it was covered in red, and it hadn't opened its eyes yet. It had just been born, hadn't it? I didn't see any siblings anywhere but noticed a trail of red coming from another bush. The other kittens were there... all dead as well.

"You can keep it, but we gotta go to the vet and get it checked on first," Korey said, "Deal?"

I nodded quickly, holding it close to my chest to warm it up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	14. Everything Goes Black

The first thing we did was run back to the house, both to drop off the clothes from the photoshoot and to grab a towel to dry the kitten off. Korey called John as soon as we got into the car, and he was okay with me keeping the kitten. 

As soon as I stepped into the house Alex came running up with an old looking towel and a new jacket for me to wear. I gently placed the kitten in the towel and took my old jacket off, putting the new one on. After putting it on I gently grabbed the kitten and held it to my chest again, wrapping the towel around the small thing as I walked out the door.

"Aria you ready?" Korey called from the car.

"Yeah!" I called, rubbing the kitten's now non-bloody head with one finger. I climbed into the car, clutching the kitten close as Korey zoomed off to the vet.

We were back two hours later, having named the little thing Chloe after my favorite Detroit: Become Human android. We had determined a care outline and set up a few appointments to make sure that she stayed healthy. Right now she was curled up on my chest, purring as I rubbed her back. Her fur looked like it was white, almost like Chloe's hair, and I wouldn't be able to see what her eye color was for another few days. 

We got home and I continued to hold Chloe close to my chest, pulling away to show her to the rest of my family. She would need to go back in a week, and then seven weeks after that. After showing Chloe off, I went into my room to look for a box. Korey brought in some towels, helping me make a box to keep Chloe in until she was ready to go somewhere else. She would be... going... in this box (thus the spill towels) until she was about three weeks old and moving around on her own. In around two weeks I would have to buy a litter box and help her get accustomed to it.

"Are you excited, Aria?" Korey asked, smiling at me.

I nodded, looking at her. I had wanted a kitten for years now, but not that they knew that. I was never allowed to have one at the orphanage though.

"You ready for bed though?" Korey stood in the doorway.

I nodded, it was actually already nine o'clock. The only reason they had let us in the vet was that it was an emergency.

Once Chloe was in the box (and resting on the nightstand next to my bed), I climbed into bed and passed out. 

━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━

Someone figured it out.

Some fan figured out that I was John and Korey Cooper's daughter.

I noticed it about a week after the photo shoot. Of course, there were pictures from the set. I didn't realize how many of them I was in. 

It was started on Reddit, with a post titled 'Who is this girl?'. The user mentioned how they knew that my name wasn't mentioned in any of the posts and that I looked nothing like anyone there that day. Another user commented that I was probably the fashion designer (which I was) but another pointed out that John and Korey would have mentioned me by name.

I figured nothing of it, just upvoted the first comment and moved on. But the comment below kinda freaked me out, ' _What if they adopted her? She looks really young and they've discussed doing that for a while now._ ' It was the second most upvoted comment. I didn't upvote it though, purely because I freaked out.

The next day that thread was on Instagram and Twitter. I didn't understand why these people were so freaked out by my appearance, but there was a ton of theories from 'she was edited in' (my favorite) to 'she might be a Make-A-Wish fan who wanted to hang out with them'. 

The day after _that_ the post on Reddit had blown up, and a full-blown search was on. One of the comment threads was trying to figure out my name, another was trying to figure out how old I was.

A picture leaked exactly ten days after the photo shoot, and I could deny it no longer. I brought my phone to Korey, showing the Reddit page. The top post was titled "Found a new picture of The Girl!" It was of Korey hugging me after John had done that stupid dance, and she was in the midst of kissing the top of my head. 

Korey sighed, looking at me. "I'm sorry sweetheart," She mumbled. Her arm went around my waist, hugging me tight. 

I sighed, "I don't _mind_ , I just... wanted to wait a little longer before the public figured it out."

Korey chuckled, "Some of the people on the internet do better research than FBI agents, you know that right?"

I giggled and nodded, my heart feeling lighter in my chest. I had been one of those people in high school, girls would come to me and ask to help them 'stalk' the guys they were interested in so that they knew if they should make a move or not. 

"Alright. What do you want to do about it?" Korey asked, pulling away.

"I wanna tell them, they aren't going to stop freaking out until we do."

"Alright, we'll do that honey. You okay if we wait until tomorrow though?" Korey walked into the kitchen and I followed her. It was already dark outside, not exactly the best idea for recording (especially since mosquitos aren't the best here). 

"Yeah. John's at the recording studio right?" I asked.

She nodded, pulling out a few frozen pizzas, "They're finishing the album, and I'm going in on Monday to do some last-minute production stuff. We're so close to being done!" Korey smiled at me, turning the oven on. 

Just the idea of eating that delicious pizza that she had just put in was making my mouth water. I walked over to the fridge, heart pounding as I pulled a bottle of Dr. Pepper out.

_It's going to be okay, right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	15. Falling Inside The Black

Korey woke me up the next morning with the promise of a good breakfast. The promise of that was enough to get me moving, but Chloe's meows moved me to help her get "ready", even though I knew neither of us would be leaving the house for a very long time.

I walked down the stairs, holding Chloe. I needed to feed her before I got my food. I got into the kitchen and saw John in there, dancing in an apron and eating chips while he cooked. I found myself smiling a little bit, but after realizing there was a slight ache in my shoulders I knew I was still tense. 

John noticed me standing by the pantry, "Morning Aria." 

I waved slightly, grabbing Chloe's formula and putting it on the counter. I grabbed a bottle and filled it with water and set to work getting the milk made for her. 

Korey came down a little while later as I was feeding Chloe. She kissed my forehead and walked over to where John was finishing up breakfast. As she was making herself a plate Alex came down, followed by Xavier soon after. John made the rest of us plates, and we all went to sit at the table (after I put Chloe back upstairs in her room).

The first few minutes were silent, but John started talking suddenly, "So, people are starting to figure out that Aria is our kid." I knew this talk was mostly for Alex and Xavier, but I couldn't help but blush as they looked at me. Alex reached her hand out, and I held onto it quickly. "The three of us were planning on recording a video explaining what is going on, but I feel like if Aria is okay with it you two could be in it as well." John's eyes trained themselves onto me. I nodded quickly, just wanting him to stop looking at me (which he did). 

"When are you going to record?" Alex asked, biting into a piece of bacon.

"As soon as we're done here," Korey said, "People are just going to keep freaking out until we do."

I nodded, "Yeah. And, in case you can't tell, I _don't like attention._ " The comment made everyone laugh, making me smile.

We continued to just talk after that, the subject of the video becoming a little taboo. Alex and Xavier didn't want to even think about it, I think. Korey noticed this quickly and made sure that we ate fast, trying to get the video done as soon as possible. 

The video was done and uploaded to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and literally anything that the Cooper's could access. Within half an hour the tweets and tags and comments had all exploded.

 **Apicess** omg congrats!!

 **vaqueso** she looks so pretty!

 **b** **erameme** is she single?

 **slayhatga** I'd date her 😍

All of those (and other vaguely creepy) comments filled social media. By the end of the day, a ton of news outlets had begun to report on it.

We sat at the dinner table, eating comfortably. I was silent, listening as John made the fiftieth pun of the night. I smiled a little as Alex and Xavier groaned, their heads hitting the table. 

I could feel my phone buzz in my lap, so I picked it up to see what was happening. It was a Facebook notification, in the Skillet group I had joined.

I gulped, putting my phone away for the time being. However, as soon as I was allowed, I rushed up to my room.

I pulled out the device, unlocking it and scrolling through the notifications. People had been tagging me on a specific post, talking about who I was and how lucky I was. I sighed, looking to see that people were jealous and that they thought I was ugly now. That the Cooper's shouldn't have adopted me.

I texted Spencer since I had his number.

**Me:**  
Hey

  
**Spencer:**  
Hey kid. You okay? I saw the video

**Me:**  
Honestly, I'm not feeling the best. A lot of people have been   
commenting and saying I don't deserve any of it.

  
**Spencer:**  
You should know that's not true

**Me:**  
It doesn't stop them from seeing that it's not 🤷🏻‍♀️

  
**Spencer:**  
Do you want me to come over? We can watch  
whatever you want to watch

I thought for a moment about the idea of him coming over. It would be nice to see him again.

**Me:**  
I'm alright. Maybe tomorrow

  
**Spencer:**  
Is that code for "just let me sleep?" 😂

**Me:**  
Sure 😂

  
**Spencer:**  
Alright, I'll let you sleep. Goodnight Aria

**Me:**  
Goodnight Spencer 😊

  
I sighed and changed my focus to YouTube, where I saw one of my favorite YouTubers had uploaded. I was about to click on it when there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I called softly. Alex peeked in, then came in quickly and closed the door.

"You okay?" Alex asked, sitting next to me in bed.

I shrugged, picking up Chloe and holding her against my chest. She purred, nuzzling closer to my neck. 

"Want a hug?" Alex asked.

Without a word, I leaned onto Alex's shoulder. She wrapped her arm around me, keeping me warm. I felt at ease here. Like nothing could get me. Slowly my eyes closed, and my heart slowed down as I eased into sleep.

ıllıllııllıllı

  
_I woke up a little while later shivering. Looking around, I noticed that I was on my bed, but my blanket was on the floor. I must have had a nightmare._

_I got out of bed and picked it up, easily climbing into bed and wrapping myself up in it. But... something smelled horrible_. _I looked around once more, not seeing anything. I shrugged and laid back down, deciding to try and sleep again._

_"You don't deserve this."_

_I shot up, "What the heck?"_

_"You were a mistake."_

_I looked around, "Who's there?!"_

_Something hit my window, and when I went to go look I saw a mob down in our yard._

_"KOREY!" I stumbled backward and into someone. Quickly I turned, but what I saw scared me. John and Korey stood there, and both looked pissed._

_"They're right," Korey said._

_I started to shake my head, "Please... I'm happy here, please don't take me back."_

_"We have no choice," John said, walking forward._

_I realized something suddenly. I was dreaming right now, wasn't I?_

My eyes flew open, and I gasped. I was laying down, and it looked like Chloe was in her bed. I sat up slowly, trying to remember everything that happened. Alex wasn't next to me anymore, so she must have gone to bed at some point. I tried to remember what I could about the dream.

I looked over next to me to see the blanket on the ground. An uneasy feeling rose in my chest as I slowly picked it up. I picked up my phone and turned it on, seeing that it was 5 AM. I groaned a little bit, falling back in bed.


	16. Looking for Angels

I secluded myself to my room after that. I don't know why I was so freaked out about it. I knew it was a dream. I was still terrified though. 

My phone was constantly going off, so eventually, I just turned it off and grabbed my camera. I slipped on some shoes and walked outside.

It was Golden Hour, which meant taking pictures would be easy and they would look _great._ I walked out the sliding glass door and slid it shut quietly. Korey had hung a stain glass windchime on one end, coincidentally in the direction of where the sun was rising. I walked over quietly and turned my camera on, snapping a few pictures of the windchime reflecting the sunlight. Turning around, I noticed that there was a reflection on the ground. I crouched down, snapping a few pictures of that. 

I moved off the porch, taking my time as I looked around for things to take pictures of. I saw a bird on the fence post, _is that a robin?_ I moved slowly, crouching about five feet away and snapping a few pictures of it. I even got to get a picture of it taking off, as I scared it accidentally.

We had a little lake in our backyard that had a family of otters. They were on the shore today, and I noticed that there was a little turtle with them. I smiled as the otter I had identified as the father a little while ago crawled over to the turtle and gave it some food. The two kids were eating as well, and the mother was resting. I snapped a few pictures of them.

One of the kids, who looked like it was maybe a few months old, began to waddle over to me. I smiled, laying on my stomach with my camera. I got a few shots of it crawling up and pulled my camera away, but to my surprise, it continued to come. I paused, watching as it began to sniff my camera. I quickly snapped some pictures as it was playing with my camera, squealing occasionally. I smiled, gently picking it up after a few minutes and placing it down gently with its family.

"Aria? You out here?" I heard. I looked to see Korey on the porch, looking worried.

"I'm here!" I said, picking my camera back up. I noticed something wet on my clothes and looked down to see them covered in morning dew and loose grass. I sighed, beginning my treck back up to the house.

"What were you doing?" Korey asked, looking me over once I got back up there.

"I couldn't sleep and my phone kept going off, so I figured I would take some pictures," I mumbled, letting her lead me back in as I checked how the pictures came out.

"At 5 AM?" 

I nodded, "Golden Hour." I showed her the pictures of the wind chime and she nodded, humming in appreciation.

"Aria! Where were you?' John asked as soon as he saw me.

"Taking pictures, it's the perfect time to do them," I mumbled, hands tightening on the camera.

John nodded, putting an omelet on a plate. I sat at the table, continuing to look through the pictures. It was silent as John came over with food for him and Korey. They ate in silence as well, mumbling to each other occasionally. After a few minutes, I stood and walked back to my room.

I gently set the camera down on my desk, pulling the SD card out. The laptop was already on my desk, so I opened it and slid the SD card in.

I could hear the phone buzzing on my bed, and it was honestly getting so annoying. I walked over after a second and grabbed it, finally turning it on and taking some time to scroll through the notifications. 

A lot of people were trying to defend me now, saying that I was the one the Coopers chose and that was going to be it. More of them were reporting the comments that were being mean. I didn't see _any_ mean ones anymore.

I smiled a little but thought for a moment. I decided that enough was _enough._ I scrolled through the pictures I took this morning, choosing one of the ones from the otter family with the turtle. I tagged everyone in my family, then began to write.

I posted it half an hour later. It only took me a few minutes to type it all up, but I was so worried about what people would say that I spent the rest of the time reading and rereading what I had written in an effort to make sure it looked good. By the time it had been posted onto all the platforms, I noticed that something smelled good downstairs. 

I stood, popping my back and walking out of my room. My shirt and pants had dried, but I was still a little cold. 

I walked downstairs to see the rest of the family there. Once they saw me approach they smiled, and Alex slid the chair next to her out a little bit. I sat down and began to eat, gulping down the food quickly.

"So... you're a turtle now?" John asked teasingly.

I smiled a little, "I guess."

"It fits," Korey said, smiling at me. I grinned back at her, joking with them about different things.

"Oh shoot!" John said, whipping his phone out.

"What?" Xavier asked.

"I forgot to post about Eden!" John said.

Eden was the graphic novel they were releasing. Korey showed me pictures of it a couple of days ago. I kind of wanted to do a photoshoot with them dressed as their characters.

"You might want to do that," I said, smiling. The poor fans were going to have _two_ announcements in two days to fangirl over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


	17. Stand

I was woken up the next morning by a knocking on my door.

I sat up, calling out sleepily, "Come in."

Alex's head peeked in, "Hey, we've got church today. Do you wanna come with us?"

I hadn't actually been to church since moving in. John and Korey offered to take me every single week, but I would refuse. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know _who_ to expect there. But Spencer and I had talked after the weekly tour meeting yesterday, it turned out that he went to the same church as the Coopers did. Maybe with him there it wouldn't be so scary.

"Sure," I mumbled, running a hand down my face.

"Awesome. We're leaving in a couple of hours, don't worry about dressing up. Our church is pretty chill. I'm gonna go let Mom and Dad know you're coming with us," Alex said, closing the door.

_Pretty chill. But I wanna impress people?_

I walked over to my dresser, opening the drawer with my pants. I grabbed the white jeans I had in there, closing it and walking to the closet. I grabbed a blue shirt and my white leather jacket- my pride and joy. I had saved up money when I was in the orphanage and bought it as soon as I was told that I had stopped growing. I smiled at it a little, walking to the bathroom to hop in the shower.

After I hopped out I gently pat my face until it was dry. A thin layer of concealer was applied, and then my foundation was applied. I went for a neutral color makeup look- didn't want to freak anyone out. After my make up was done I pulled my hair out of its makeshift t-shirt towel and began to blowdry it with Alex's hairdryer (she let me use it whenever I needed to). I pulled half of it into a bun in order to get it out of my face but pulled out a few strands because it looked cute. 

I walked back across the hall, going to my vanity and pulling off a necklace and bracelet. Both were silver, in order to blend in better with the silver of the jacket. After pulling on a pair of boots, I grabbed Chloe and walked back downstairs. 

I walked into the kitchen, noticing that the rest of my family was in the dining room. Alex was the first to see me, " _Aria!_ You look amazing!"

I giggled, "Thank you." 

We were off to church a few minutes later. I had my headphones plugged into my iPod and was playing on my phone.

Alex looked at me, "You know you could listen to Spotify and have a ton of songs?"

I looked at her with an eyebrow raised, "I have plenty of songs on here that I like."

Alex nodded, "Alright."

I went back to scrolling through my phone, reading this thing called a one-shot book. Apparently a lot of people liked to see John and Korey being cute.

We were at church about half an hour later. John parked the car, but Korey turned around to look at me, "Just stick by us and everything will be alright. I'll warn you, there is one lady-" Korey was interrupted by groans from Alex and Xavier which stopped after a short glare from both parents. "There is a lady named Ruth Turner. She's very... conservative. Honestly, the reason why she hasn't left this church yet is that it's the only church that she's been to."

I nodded, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because she likes to complain about us when we show up," Alex said bluntly.

I nodded slowly. And with that, we were finally on our way into the church.

Alex let me follow her to the cafe, which had donuts and coffee for everyone to eat. They had bananas as well, so I grabbed one of those and had Alex help me make some tea. After pouring an ungodly amount of sugar in, Alex led me back to their family spot in the sanctuary.

A ton of people came by to say hi to everyone. Most didn't notice I was there. Fewer said hello. 

The room seemed to quiet a little as the doors opened. An older woman stood in the doorway, clad in a floor-length dress and long sleeves. 

"Is that her?" I asked. 

Harsh eyes scanned the room until landing upon us.

"Yup," Everyone mumbled.

"Oh boy."

Ruth walked over, shifting her bag from one arm to the other. Alex and Xavier suddenly found an excuse to leave. She stood in front of our pew, a false smile highlighting the wrinkled on her face.

"Good morning," I could practically hear the venom dripping.

"Good morning Miss Ruth," John said cheerfully.

"Where are the kids this morning?" Ruth asked. 

If it weren't for the fact that I could hear the passive-aggressiveness in her voice, I would have thought she was being genuinely nice.

"They wanted to hang out with the youth group this morning," Korey said.

Ruth's gaze landed on me, "And who is this?"

I stuck my hand out before John or Korey could introduce me, "I'm Aria, John and Korey just adopted me a while back."

Ruth pursed her lips, "Oh."

I gulped, slowly bringing my hand back.

"Why haven't you been to church yet then?" Ruth asked.

"Well, I haven't really been in a church environment before, and because I also haven't been in a family environment before we figured it would be best for me to adjust to that before coming to church," I answered. 

Ruth nodded, "And the orphanage let you dress like _that_?"

John spoke up, "What she is wearing doesn't matter, Ruth. What matters is that she's here now and in a safe environment. Now, would you please mind sitting down somewhere? Service is about to start."

Ruth scoffed and rolled her eyes, stalking away.

I let out a breath of air that I didn't realize I was holding, "Thank you, John."

"Of course," He smiled. It looked like he was about to wrap an arm around my shoulders, but hesitated and awkwardly stretched his arm up and brought it back down. "She didn't scare you too much did she?"

"Nah, I'm used to it," I mumbled.


	18. Whirlwind

**🚨 Trigger Warning: An injury happens and is kind of described. I'll put bold exclamation points around the content, and then explain at the end** **🚨**

The ride home was loud and rambunctious, and the conversation had me laughing to the point of tears multiple times.

We got home and I grabbed my bag, slowly walking up the stairs. I was going to go design some clothes, maybe make some modifications to my clothes. 

I threw my bag onto my bed, pulling out my sketch pad and beginning some doodles. I wanted to create more photoshoot outfits or even outfits for music videos.

Chloe meowed at me a while later, and I realized I hadn't given her lunch yet. I stood, gently grabbing Chloe and heading downstairs. 

The house was quiet, but I found Alex sitting in the living room. She was laying down, a blanket covering herself up. I grinned, walking into the kitchen and getting Chloe her milk. I grabbed a couple of pieces of lunch meat for myself, shoving them in my mouth and chewing quickly.

Chloe was done eating a few minutes later, climbing all over my arms. I walked back out into the living room, seeing that Alex was awake now. I sat down next to her just as she was sitting up.

"You wanna play Just Dance?" I asked. That had become our game to play together.

Alex smiled, stretching, "Sure."

I stood, setting Chloe on the couch and starting the game up. I scrolled through the songs as Alex continued to stretch.

"Let's do Havana first," Alex suggested, grinning.

"Yeah," I clicked it, making sure that Chloe was out of the way before we began dancing. 

We kept dancing for a while, laughing and having a good time. Eventually, we approached the end of the line-up, and the only song we hadn't done faced us.

"You wanna try Rave in the Grave?" I looked at Alex, panting.

She shrugged, "We've made it this far, may as well try."

I smiled, wiping my forehead before clicking on it. I clicked on the girl, and Alex clicked on the tree looking thing. We couldn't help but laugh at the way the characters looked, glowing bright but looking dumb.

The song started off simply, just a few moves. I moved in front of Alex a ton, dancing around. And then they started doing one of those stupid Fortnite dances. 

Alex and I laughed, _hard._ There was no way my hand would move with my foot _while we were jumping around._ Finally, that part of the dance had finished. 

I laughed, "What kind of dance was that?!"

"A popular one," Alex replied, laughing just as hard as I was. 

We continued, trying our best to do the moves. And then the Fortnite moves started again.

"Oh boy," I mumbled, trying my best to do them.

We started around the circle when suddenly Alex's foot caught on my leg. We came crashing down, and a sickening crack came from Alex's leg.

**!!**

Alex screamed, causing me to roll off her. I looked and saw a jagged piece of bone protruding through Alex's skin.

"Oh my god," I mumbled, looking at Alex. She had her eyes shut, hands held tight around the wound.

"It's gonna be okay," I whimpered, looking back down at Alex's leg. "Alex, don't look at it, it'll only make you feel worse." She didn't stop screaming in pain.

I looked around quickly, _Sorry Korey._ I grabbed a towel off the couch, a raggedy looking one, and pressed it against the blood that was now pouring out of Alex's leg.

**!!**

I barely registered the thudding on the stairs through Alex's screams of pain. I looked up to see John and Korey crashing down the stairs, obviously having just woken up.

"What happened?!" Korey asked, running over towards the two of us. 

"We- We were just dancing and Alex's foot caught on my leg and we fell!" I said, gently pulling the towel back. Korey gasped, gulping. 

John was next to us a second later, "Kor, call 911. Alex, look at me baby, you're going to be okay."

Alex's eyes met John's, and she nodded. John looked down at her leg, seating himself on the floor next to Alex. He propped his leg up behind her back, allowing her to rest on it while he held her. I couldn't hear much over the pounding in my ears, but they had their eyes closed and they were mumbling. 

I kept the towel over Alex's leg as Korey talked on the phone. My hands trembled, but I started to notice that red was creeping through the towel. I adjusted, causing Alex to cry out.

John wrapped his other hand around her head, pulling it into the crook of his shoulder. He rested his chin on the top of her head, allowing her to cry into his chest. John kept his eyes shut, and I finally understood what he was saying. John was _praying._ Praying and reassuring Alex at the same time.

"Ambulance will be here in about 15 minutes," Korey mumbled, kneeling next to me again. I nodded, and didn't register John and Alex nodding as well.

A few moments later, Korey's hands appeared in my vision, gently prying my own away from Alex's leg. I looked at Korey, but after a pointed look, I moved back, allowing Korey to hold the wound. I couldn't stop looking at it though. My hands remained on my lap, palms up. I felt something on my cheek, and reached up and wiped it away with the back of my hand. Didn't want to spread blood all over.

I could hear the sirens a few minutes later. The sound shocked me out of my state, and I allowed myself to meet Alex's eyes. She looked up at me, and smiled a little.

"Are you okay?" I asked, voice cracking.

"I will be," Alex said. "Maybe no more Just Dance for a while?"

I laughed a little bit, "Yeah, we'll stay away from Just Dance."

Alex laughed, reaching out and patting my hand. 

Korey looked at me, "Aria can you come hold this again? I'm gonna help the paramedics get in here." I nodded, scooting forward and pressing gently against Alex's leg. The towel didn't look any more soaked than when I had left it. I was surprised that Alex hadn't passed out yet. 

The paramedics were in a few seconds later, stretcher in tow. They loaded Alex up, and after a brief discussion, Korey followed the paramedics out, leaving John and me on the floor.

"Aria?" I heard. I looked up to see John looking at me, "Let's go clean your hands, okay?"

I nodded but didn't move. 

"Aria..." John reached forward slowly, gently grabbing my elbows. He moved me onto my knees, and then onto my feet. Chloe meowed indignantly as John wrapped his arm around me, leading me to the kitchen. 

I couldn't get the sound of the sirens out of my ears. I was thrown back to that night all those years ago. It wasn't until I felt the coolness of water running down my hands that I was launched back into reality. 

John had placed my hands under the sink and was washing them for me. His hands were gentle, scrubbing the blood as best as he could without hurting me. Once the water ran clear, John removed my hands from the water and dried them with a paper towel. His actions were slow and gentle.

"Aria, Alex is going to be okay," John said softly, "God's got her."

"It's my fault," I whispered.

John tilted my chin up, "What makes you say that?"

"I suggested doing the dance," I mumbled, "If I hadn't offered-"

"What's done is done. Alex is going to be okay," John reassured, pushing some hair out of my face.

I nodded, sighing. 

"Can I hug you?" John asked.

I shook my head, "I- I'm good right now."

John nodded, removing his hands from my arms, "Okay. Why don't you go take a nap? I'll go tell Xavier what happened, and if anything happens to Alex I'll come let you know. Sound good?"

I nodded.

"Alright," John walked out of the room, heading upstairs. I grabbed Chloe, holding her close as I walked up the stairs slowly, all but collapsing into my bed when I got to it. 

John had taken the time to make sure that I was okay. That I was cared for. He cleaned my hands, and respected my boundaries...

Maybe John wasn't that bad after all...

**🚨 Alex's leg ends up being broken** **🚨**


	19. Yours To Hold

I awoke at three in the morning to meows coming from next to me. It had been a couple of weeks, and my nightmares weren't getting any better. But Chloe's growth rate was crazy fast. She was already running around and playing, as well as going to the bathroom on her own. She was on point for a kitten of a couple of months old.

Alex was already getting better. She was moving around on crutches and was constantly in shorts, skirts, or loose pants. I still felt bad, but I stopped apologizing a while ago. 

I turned to see Chloe on the bed next to me, meowing and pressing her paws into my hair. I smiled, sitting up and pulling the hair out from under her. She made a curious noise before seeing I was awake, then purred. I grinned, picking her up gently and putting her on my shoulder in order to go down for breakfast. I was pretty sure the kitten thought of me as her mother, which made me both sad and happy (I know it's weird). The past couple of days she'd been staying right on me, and even learning how to use her claws to stay on my shoulder (but not hurt it).

I held onto her back as I stepped down the stairs, following the sounds of clattering in the kitchen. I really hoped it wasn't John. I didn't want him to notice I was there.

I got to the bottom of the stairs and noticed that I still hadn't seen anyone yet. The fact that it was pitch black didn't help, but I had to feed Chloe.

_Please let it be Korey. Or Alex. Or Xavier. Literally anyone else._

I poked my head inside the kitchen and saw John. I frowned, going to leave, but Chloe meowed again. I cursed under my breath and put on a mask of exhaustion as John saw me.

"Aria? Did Chloe want food?" He whispered.

I nodded, coming in and grabbing Chloe's formula. I mixed it up in water, then held her as she fed.

"She's growing really fast," John commented, setting down his cup. I couldn't see what was in it, despite the kitchen light being on.

Another nod. On the outside, I looked okay, but in reality, I was terrified. Alone, in the middle of the night, with a man. John had been doing nothing but I was still scared.

After a minute he spoke up again, "Aria, can I tell you something?"

I looked up at him, eyebrow raised, "Yeah."

John sighed heavily, "Korey did tell me that you haven't had the best time with guys, especially your dad. I just wanted to let you know you aren't alone in that."

"Well, I knew that," I smiled at him, but seeing his face I bit my lip as the pieces clicked, "You and your dad...?"

John nodded, "Now, don't think I am trying to say that our situations are exactly the same, okay?" I nodded, and John continued, "He didn't abuse me but... After my mom died my freshman year of high school he and I grew even further apart. He would always yell at me, and my step-mom did too. He married her just three months after my mom died."

I didn't know what to say. Here, the man I saw as scary, was opening up to me.

"She had stupid strict rules like I couldn't shower before school or after 9, so I would usually have to shower at my friend's house because otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to shower," John admitted, looking at me.

"That _is_ a stupid rule," I mumbled.

"But, when I was in college, I realized that my dad was probably going through some tough crap as well. So, I forgave him. It takes two to make a situation worse, and I probably wasn't helping, being a hormonal teenager," John chuckled, and I took the opportunity to smile. "Aria, I'm not saying I expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know that I'm not ever going to hurt you like your father did."

I had put Chloe on the counter, since she had finished eating, and she was fast asleep. But, after John's promise... I found a lump in my throat. The man I had seen in my dreams hurting and killing those I loved just stood here and told me that he would never do that stuff. He opened up, and didn't expect anything back. John was nothing like my biological father.

John was a better one.

I looked up at him, unable to help the tear that slipped down my cheek. John reached forward, but hesitated. After I didn't recoil, John gently placed his hand on my cheek and wiped the tear away slowly. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"John... I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"Sorry for what?" John asked, eyebrows creased.

"For... For avoiding you. I'm sorry," I whimpered.

"Honey, you do not need to apologize. I know you've had those nightmares. You don't have to tell me that you were in the wrong, you couldn't help it. And guess what?" John asked.

"Hmm?" I mean to ask what, but the lump in my throat prevented it.

"I still love you anyway."

With that I let out a sob, covering my mouth. He opened his arms out for a hug, and I finally accepted it, wrapping my arms around his torso. He ran his hand through my hair, at one point kissing the top of my head. I didn't realize how much I had missed getting hugs. The warmth encompassed my shaking body, but I wasn't shaking from anxiety. I finally felt safe here, in his arms.

In my Dad's arms.

**And that's it! _Lions_ has come to an end, but I have good news! **

**_Lions_ is getting a sequel!**

**You didn't think I forgot about that whole tour thing, right?**

**Anyway, I will be tying my book _Forever_ into the sequel for this. It's not a necessary read, but it will help with some of the plot points that will be in there.**

**I don't have a specific timeframe for the sequel, but I will tell you what's taking over the slot on the rotation (once I get publishing again):**

**Silver Lining!**

**The rewrite of She's With Me!**

**Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go cry. It was fun writing this**

**Author's Note:**

> As someone who has anxiety, I know the feeling of finding a book but it being a little too... dramatic? I think that's the word. Anyway, if you feel like you can no longer read this book, feel free to message me, and I'll give you as much (or as little) spoilers as you want!


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